Content disclosure method and system

• US 20030200200A1
• Filed: 04/19/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mary Beth Hughes, Scott Boyd
• Original Assignee: Mary Beth Hughes, Scott Boyd
• Inventors: Boyd, Scott, Hughes, Mary Beth
• Application Number:
  US10/126,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20030200200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A computerized method and system for notifying a consumer whether identified elements are contained in selected products. The system consist of at least one computer server and hand held computing device interconnected in a client server environment. A manufacturer registers their UPC'"'"'s with the system. A consumer registers their elements (ie allergy information) with the system. Utilizing a scanner connected to the handheld computing device, the consumer scans in the UPC codes of the selected products. The system compares the ingredients of the selected products is compared with the consumer'"'"'s allergies. The results of the comparison is displayed to the consumer.

Claims

1. A computerized system for notifying consumers that particular elements are contained in selected products, the system comprising:

at least one computer server having a first storage media and a first processor;

the first storage media containing a first database including a list of contents for a plurality of product codes;

the first processor programmed to maintain the first database contained in the first storage media;

at least one electronic computing device in communication with the at least one computer server; and

the at least one electronic computing device having a second processor programmed to;

receive the consumer'"'"'s registration information containing a consumer'"'"'s profile and a list of elements identified by the consumer;

receive as input a plurality of product codes selected by the consumer; and

for each inputted product code, the second processor is further program to;

retrieve the list of contents from the first database corresponding to the product code;

compare the list of contents with the consumer'"'"'s list of identified elements; and

notify the consumer whether the selected product corresponding to the product code contains any of the identified elements.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processor is further programmed to:

receive as input from the consumer the consumer'"'"'s registration information;

store and maintain the consumer'"'"'s registration information in a second database located on the at least one server; and

provide to the consumer a consumer identification device corresponding to the stored consumer profile, whereby the consumer identification device is a reference which links the consumer to the registered consumer'"'"'s profile.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second processor is further program to:

access the consumer identification device;

access the consumer'"'"'s profile from the second database based upon the consumer identification device;

validate the consumer identification device with what is stored in the consumer'"'"'s profile; and

transfer the consumer'"'"'s registration information into the electronic computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the consumer identification device contains all or part of the consumer'"'"'s registration information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first database consists of a plurality of tables.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the second database consists of plurality of tables.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer is a person, entity or animal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the product code identify a consumable good, a manufactured good, or a product sold in its natural state.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic computing device is a handheld computing device, stationary scanning device or a point of sale computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second processor is further programmed to notify the consumer of which selected products contain any of the identified elements and to receive from the consumer an acknowledgment of each notification given to the consumer.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the second processor is further programmed to:

electronically receive the first database or a subset of the tables from the at least one server; and

store the first database in a second storage media connected to the at least one electronic computing device.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a scanning device connected to the at least one electronic computing device; and

the scanning device is programmed to scan from the product label the product code.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the product code is an Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the second processor is further programmed to:

receive the second database or a subset of the plurality of tables from the at least one server; and

store the second database in a third storage media connected to the at least one electronic computing device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one server further includes a third storage media containing a blood table which includes a list of elements for each possible blood type a consumer can have.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the consumer'"'"'s registration information further includes the consumer'"'"'s blood type and an additional list of elements retrieved from the blood table based upon the consumer'"'"'s blood type.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein the first processor is programmed to:

generate a diet from the consumer'"'"'s registration information; and

store the diet as part of the consumer'"'"'s profile.

18. A computerized method for notifying consumers particular elements are contained in selected products, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a first database in a storage media on at least one computer server, the first database including a list of contents for a plurality of product codes;

inputting a list of elements identified by the consumer into an electronic computing device;

inputting a plurality of product codes selected by the consumer into the electronic computing device; and

for each inputted product code perform the steps of;

retrieving from the first database a list of contents corresponding to the product code; and

comparing the list of elements with the list of product contents;

and notifying to the consumer whether the selected product corresponding to the product code contain any of the identified elements.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of inputting a list of elements further includes the steps of:

registering a consumer'"'"'s profile in a second database, the consumer profile including the list of elements identified by the consumer;

maintaining the second database on the at least one computer server; and

providing the consumer with a consumer identification device corresponding to the stored consumer profile, whereby the consumer identification device is a reference link back to the registered consumer profile.

20. The method of claim 19, further including the steps of:

accessing the consumer'"'"'s identification device;

accessing the consumer'"'"'s profile from the second database based upon the consumer'"'"'s identification device;

validating the consumer'"'"'s identification device with what is stored in the consumer'"'"'s profile; and

transferring the consumer'"'"'s profile into the electronic computing device.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the consumer identification device contains all or part of the consumer'"'"'s registered profile.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the first database consists of a plurality of tables.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the second database consists of a plurality of tables.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the consumer is a person, entity or animal.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the product is a consumable good, a non-consumable good, a manufactured good, or a product sold in its natural state.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the electronic computing device is a handheld computing device, stationary scanning device, or a point of sale computing device.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of notifying further comprises receiving from the consumer an acknowledgment of each notification that a selected product contains an identified element.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of registering the consumer further includes the steps of:

generating an additional list of elements based upon the consumer'"'"'s blood type;

and registering the additional list of elements as part of the consumer'"'"'s profile.

29. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

generating a diet based upon the consumer'"'"'s registration information; and

storing the diet as part of the consumer'"'"'s profile in the second database.

30. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of transferring the first database or a subset of the first database to a second storage media connected to the electronic computing device.

31. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of transferring the second database or a subset of the tables to a third storage device connected to the electronic computing device.

32. A computer medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a first database in a storage media on at least one computer server, the first database including a list of contents for a plurality of product codes;

inputting a list of elements identified by the consumer into an electronic computing device;

inputting a plurality of product codes selected by the consumer into the electronic computing device; and

for each inputted product code perform the steps of;

retrieving from the first database a list of contents corresponding to the product code; and

comparing the list of elements with the list of product contents;

and notifying to the consumer whether the selected product corresponding to the product code contain any of the identified elements.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the computer instructions to perform the step of inputting a list of elements further includes computer instruction to perform the steps of:

registering a consumer'"'"'s profile in a second database, the consumer profile including the list of elements identified by the consumer;

maintaining the second database on the at least one computer server; and

providing the consumer with a consumer identification device corresponding to the stored consumer profile, whereby the consumer identification device is a reference link back to the registered consumer profile.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further including computer executable instructions to perform the steps of:

accessing the consumer'"'"'s identification device;

accessing the consumer'"'"'s profile from the second database based upon the consumer'"'"'s identification device;

validating the consumer'"'"'s identification device with what is stored in the consumer'"'"'s profile; and

transferring the consumer'"'"'s profile into the electronic computing device.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 having computer executable instruction to define the consumer identification device containing all or part of the consumer'"'"'s registered profile.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 having computer executable instruction to define the first database consisting of a plurality of tables.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 having computer executable instruction to define the second database consisting of a plurality of tables.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, wherein the computer instructions to perform the step of notifying further comprises instructions to perform the step of receiving from the consumer an acknowledgment of each notification that a selected product contains an identified element.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the computer instructions to perform the step of registering the consumer further includes instructions to perform the steps of:

generating an additional list of elements based upon the consumer'"'"'s blood type;

and registering the additional list of elements as part of the consumer'"'"'s profile.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions to perform the steps of:

generating a diet based upon the consumer'"'"'s registration information; and

storing the diet as part of the consumer'"'"'s profile in the second database.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, further comprising computer instructions to perform the step of transferring the first database or a subset of the first database to a second storage media connected to the electronic computing device.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, further comprising computer instructions to perform the step of transferring the second database or a subset of the tables to a third storage device connected to the electronic computing device.